Packaging of confectionery items

ABSTRACT

Packaging of a stack of confectionery pellets having a longitudinal axis extending through all the pellets in the stack comprises a sheet wrapper that encases the stack. The wrapper is formed into a side wall portion which encircles the stack about the longitudinal axis and two end cap regions, each end cap region enclosing a respective axial end of the stack. A tear guide to assist a user in opening the packaging extends about the axis and is positioned at least partially within one of the end cap regions. The tear guide may be defined by lines of weakness in the wrapper which may be formed by laser etching. A method of packing a stack of confectionery items is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to packaging of confectionery items and inparticular, but not exclusively, to packaging of confectionary pelletssuch as chewing gum pellets.

It is known to provide individual confectionery items in the form ofpellets, pastilles, tablets or the like. For example, chewing gum can bepresented in the form of pellets which have a relatively hard outercasing or shell and a soft centre. The pellets are usually shapedsomewhat like a small pillow. Other confectionery products are alsopresented in a similar form. For example, hard boiled sweets, candies,chocolates, toffee or mints may be provided in the form of pellets orpastilles as can may other types of candy both hard and soft. For easeof reference, the terms pellet and pellets will be used hereinafter butit should be understood that these terms are intended to encompass othersimilar arrangements such as pastilles, tablets and the like.

The terms gum and chewing gum as used herein include bubble gum.

When packaging confectionery products in pellet form, it is known toposition a number of pellets adjacent each other in a line to form astack having a longitudinal axis which extends through all the pelletsin the stack and to wrap the stack in a sheet wrapper. The wrapper isfolded circumferentially about the stack so that one side edge of thewrapper overlaps another side edge and is held in place by means ofadhesive to form a seal. In this arrangement, the side edges are alignedgenerally parallel with the longitudinal axis of the stack. The wrapperis longer than the stack of confectionery items so that the ends of thewrapper extend beyond the ends of the stack. Each end of the wrapper isfolded to provide end closure flaps which overlie their respective endof the stack to form an end cap or end closure of the wrapper. The flapsare usually held in place by means of adhesive so that the wrapper formsa sealed enclosure for the confectionery pellets. Thus the completedwrapper comprises a side wall portion which encircles the stack ofpellets and end cap portions which overlie the ends of the stack.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stack 10 of chewing gum pellets 12packaged in a wrapper 14 in a conventional manner to form a side wallportion 16 and end caps 18. The wrapper 14 typically comprises a singleor multi-layer sheet of foil to help keep the contents fresh. Sometimesa second, inner wrapper is provided which is folded about the stack ofgum pellets in a similar manner to the main or outer wrapper 14 beforethe outer wrapper is applied. This is referred to as “double wrapped”.However, in many cases only a single wrapper is used, which is referredto as “single wrapped”. Many different confectionery products arepackaged in this manner.

To assist a user in gaining access to the confectionery items, it iscommon practice to provide tear guide in or on the wrapper which assistsa user in tearing the package along a predetermined line in order toopen the package. One known form of tear guide is a tear strip 20 whichextends circumferentially around the stack of confectionery items nearbut spaced from one end. The arrangement is such that a free end of thetear strip can be grasped by a user and pulled to tear the wrapper alongthe line of the strip to remove an end of the wrapper consisting of theend cap and a significant portion of the side wall. This allows accessto the confectionery pellets which can be removed from the packaging oneat a time.

In known packaging arrangements, the tear strip 20 is spaced inwardlyfrom the end of the stack by a distance which is roughly equivalent tothe thickness of one of the pellets 12. This makes the packaging easierto manufacture and to open but it does result in a number of problems.Firstly, while the wrapper is being opened there is a risk that a firstpellet 12 a at that end of the stack, which is positioned at leastpartly outboard of the tear strip 20, may be lost as the end of thewrapper is removed. Secondly, once the wrapper is opened and the firstconfectionery item 12 a removed, the torn end of the remaining side wallportion of the wrapper will tend to be level with or close to the outerface of the second pellet 12 b in the stack. As a result, the wrappercannot be re-closed so that at least the outer face of the secondconfectionery item 12 b in the stack is exposed with the risk that itmay become contaminated or may go soft before it is used. There is alsoa risk that the pellets remaining in the stack may fall out of thepackage which will not be effectively closed at the opened end. Theseproblems particularly arise where the stack is single wrapped, as thereis no inner wrapper to help contain and protect the pellets.

In confectionary wrappers of the type described above, the tear strip istypically formed by attaching a strip of material to the inner surfaceof the wrapper. The strip is made of a material, often a plasticmaterial, which is stronger than the base material of the wrapper. Oneend of the strip is attached to a tab which projects from theoverlapping side edge of the wrapper so that it can be grasped by a userand pulled to open the packaging. Because the material of the strip isstronger than the base wrapper, the wrapper tears along at least oneedge of the strip. The strip usually extends laterally across thewrapper from one side edge to the other so that when the wrapper isfolded about the stack, the strip encircles the stack circumferentiallyabout the longitudinal axis. Whilst this type of tear strip is effectivein allowing a user to open the packaging, the presence of the additionalstrip of material can result in an unsightly line or bulges extendingabout the formed wrapper.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,132,781 to Lile discloses packaging for a stack ofchewing gum sticks a comprising an inner wrapper 1 which encases thestack and an outer sleeve 2 which encircles a centre portion of stack. Acardboard insert 3 is positioned between an end one of the sticks a andthe wrapper and has a flap 3′ which overlies one end of the sticks ainside an end cap region of the inner wrapper 1. To open the packaging,a user inserts their thumb nail through the inner wrapper between theflap 3′ and the ends of the sticks a and lifts the flap upwardly toremove the end cap region of the inner wrapper. Whilst this documentdiscloses the removal of an end cap region of the wrapper 1, theproducts packaged in this case are all individually wrapped and so theproblems associated with the packaging of single wrapped confectionarypellets are not considered. Furthermore, because the sticks a arealigned lengthways in the wrapper 1, this document does not consider theproblems associated with the need to re-seal the packaging to preventthe contents from falling out of the opened wrapper 1. In contrast, thisdocument is concerned with ways of making removal of the contents fromthe wrapper easier.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,329,056 to Mester also discloses packaging for a stackof chewing gum sticks. In the arrangement shown, a stack of individuallywrapped gum sticks 6 is encased in a wrapper 1. A tear strip is definedat one end of the wrapper 1 by means of spaced lines of perforation 2,3. Whilst the tear strip in this embodiment is located adjacent an endcap region of the wrapper, the tear strip is wide and so a significantportion of the side wall region of the wrapper is removed. For similarreasons to those discussed above in relation to the Lile patent, thisdocument does not consider the very different problems associated withthe packaging of unwrapped confectionary pellets. In particular, it isnoted that a wrapper having lines of perforation 2, 3 to define a tearstrip would be unsuitable for use in single wrapping a stack ofconfectionary pellets as the wrapper would not seal the contents fromthe external environment.

There is a need, therefore, for an improved packaging and method ofpackaging for a stack of confectionery pellets which overcomes, or atleast mitigates, the disadvantages of the prior art.

There is a need in particular for an improved packaging and method ofpackaging for a stack of confectionery pellets which enables the openedpackage to be more effectively re-sealed, particularly where the stackis single wrapped.

There is also a need for an improved packaging and method of packagingfor a stack of confectionery pellets which is visually more appealingthan the known packaging.

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is providedpackaging of a stack of confectionery pellets having a longitudinal axisextending through all the pellets in the stack, the packaging comprisinga sheet wrapper that encases the stack, the wrapper being formed into aside wall portion which encircles the stack about the longitudinal axisand two end cap regions, each end cap region enclosing a respectiveaxial end of the stack, the wrapper further comprising a tear guide toassist a user in opening the packaging by tearing the wrapper along aline, in which said tear guide extends about said longitudinal axis ofthe stack and is positioned at least partially within one of the end capregions.

Although it is accepted practice to position a tear guide inwardly fromthe end of a stack of pellets, the applicant has found that bypositioning the tear guide at least partly within an end cap region, thepackaging can be opened whilst removing none or only a minimum amount ofthe side wall portion of the wrapper. As a result, the chances of theoutermost pellet in the stack being accidentally lost when the packageis opened are reduced. Furthermore, once the package has been opened andthe first pellet at that end of the stack has been removed, theremaining side wall portion of the wrapper will extend beyond the end ofthe now shortened stack and so can be folded over to enclose theremaining pellets and protect them from exposure. The stack may bedouble wrapped, in which case the inventive wrapper comprises the outerwrapper. However, the wrapper of the inventive packaging is particularlyadvantageous when used as the only wrapper in a single wrappedarrangement, where the ability to effectively re-seal the package afteropening is a major benefit.

The wrapper may be folded about the stack and, prior to folding, thesheet wrapper may have opposing side edges that are alignedsubstantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the stack andopposing longitudinal end portions which project beyond their respectiveends of the stack, the wrapper being folded circumferentially about thestack to form the side wall portion which encircles the stack with theopposing side edges overlapping and each of said longitudinal endportions of the wrapper being formed into flaps which are folded tooverlie a respective end of the stack to form an end cap of the wrapper.

The tear guide may comprise a tear strip, in which case, at least anouter longitudinal edge of the tear strip is located in the end capregion of the wrapper. In one arrangement, an inner longitudinal edge ofthe tear strip is located in the side wall portion of the wrapperadjacent the end of the stack. In this arrangement, the tear strip ispositioned at the transition between the side wall portion of thewrapper and the end cap. Whilst this results in the removal of a minimalpart of the side wall portion of the wrapper, it has the benefit ofensuring that the opening produced is as large as possible. In thisarrangement, the inner longitudinal edge of the tear strip may belocated no more than 3 mm from the edge of the end cap region.Preferably, the inner longitudinal edge of the tear strip is located nomore than 2 mm from the edge of the end cap region and especially nomore than 1.5 mm from the edge of the end cap region. Alternatively, theinner longitudinal edge of the tear strip may also be located in the endcap so that the whole of the tear strip is positioned within the end capof the wrapper.

The tear strip may be formed by affixing a strip of a material to aninner surface of the wrapper. The material from which the strip is mademay be stronger than the material of the remainder of the wrapper. Thestrip may comprise a polymeric material. The strip may comprise aplastics material. Alternatively, the wrapper may have two spaced linesof weakness which extend across at least part of the width of thewrapper to define a tear strip between them. The lines of weakness maybe formed on an inner surface of the wrapper by means of etching and inparticular laser etching. Use of an etched or otherwise formed line ofweakness enables a tear guide to be formed in the wrapper which issubstantially invisible to a user, and which therefore does not affectthe aesthetic features of the wrapper.

The wrapper may further comprise a tear strip tab which projects from afirst side edge of the wrapper which a user may grasp and pull toinitiate tearing of the wrapper. The tear strip tab may comprise aprotrusion extending from the wrapper. The tear strip tab may extendfrom a side edge of the wrapper and may be formed integrally with thesheet of the wrapper.

The tear strip may be arranged so as to lie substantially parallel to afirst longitudinal edge of the wrapper. An outer longitudinal edge ofthe tear strip may be spaced from a first longitudinal end edge of thewrapper by a distance in the range of 5 mm to 10 mm and an innerlongitudinal edge of the tear strip may be spaced from the firstlongitudinal end edge of the wrapper by a distance in the range of 6 mmto 12 mm. The tear strip may extend laterally across at least part ofthe width of the wrapper from a first side edge and may follow acurvilinear path.

The tear guide may comprise a single line of weakness in the wrapperwhich extends transversely at least part way across the width of thewrapper and which may be formed by etching an inner surface of thewrapper. The line of weakness may be formed by laser etching the innersurface of the wrapper. The wrapper may further comprise a tab attachedto a portion of the wrapper which lies between the line of weakness anda first longitudinal end edge of the wrapper. The tab may be arranged sothat it can be grasped by a user and pulled to initiate tearing of thewrapper along the line of weakness. A slit may be provided in thewrapper which extends from a side edge of the wrapper towards the lineof weakness.

The tear guide may at least partially encircle at least part of the endcap. The tear guide may completely encircle the whole or part of the endcap. This enables the whole or the part of the end cap to be completelyremoved. Alternatively, the tear guide may only partially encircle thewhole or part of the end cap. This results in the whole or the part ofthe end cap that lies within the tear guide remaining attached to theremainder of the wrapper to form a flap opening.

The wrapper may comprise a sheet of metal foil and may have a single ormultiple layers. The sheet may be a sheet of a composite materialcomprising a layer of foil and a layer of a paper or other material.

The overlapping side edges of the wrapper may be affixed to one anotherusing an adhesive. Some of all of the flaps which form each end cap maybe fixed in position by means of adhesive. The adhesive may be apressure or heat activated adhesive and may be pre-applied to thewrapper before it is wrapped around the stack of confectionery items.

The packaging may also include a second, inner wrapper which ispositioned about the stack of pellets before the said wrapper isapplied. Alternatively, the wrapper may comprise the only wrapper toencase the stack of pellets.

Each pellet in the stack may be individually wrapped.

The confectionery pellets may be gum pellets and in particular may bechewing gum pellets.

The tear guide may completely or partially encircle the longitudinalaxis of the stack of confectionery pellets.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention there is provided amethod of packaging a stack of confectionary pellets having alongitudinal axis extending through all the pellets in the stack, themethod comprising:

positioning a sheet wrapper adjacent a stack of confectionary pellets,the wrapper having a tear guide for assisting a user in opening thepackaging by tearing the wrapper along a line;

forming the wrapper into a side wall portion which encircles the stackabout the longitudinal axis and two end cap regions, each end cap regionenclosing a respective axial end of the stack;

in which the method further comprises positioning the tear guide so thatit extends about the longitudinal axis of the stack and is located atleast partially within an end cap region of the wrapper when the wrapperis fully formed.

The wrapper may have opposing side edges and opposing longitudinal endportions and the method may further comprise:

positioning the wrapper so that the side edges are aligned substantiallyparallel with a longitudinal axis of the stack and so that opposinglongitudinal end portions of the wrapper project beyond their respectiveends of the stack;

folding the wrapper circumferentially about the stack to form the sidewall portion which encircles the stack with the opposing side edgesoverlapping and forming each of said longitudinal ends of the wrapperinto flaps which are folded so as to overlie a respective end of thestack to form an end cap region of the wrapper;

The tear guide may comprise a tear strip and the method may furthercomprise positioning the tear strip so that at least an outerlongitudinal edge of the tear strip is located in the end cap of thewrapper. The method may comprise positioning the tear strip so that aninner longitudinal edge of the tear strip is located in the side wallportion of the wrapper. The method may comprise positioning the tearstrip so that an inner longitudinal edge of the strip is no more than 3mm from the edge of the end cap region. Preferably, the method comprisespositing the tear strip so that an inner longitudinal edge of the stripis no more than 2 mm from an edge of the end cap region and especiallyno more that 1.5 mm from an edge of the end cap region. Alternatively,the method may comprise positioning the tear strip so that both theouter and the inner longitudinal edges of the tear strip are positionedwithin the end cap of the wrapper.

The method may further comprise forming a tear strip in the wrapperwhich extends across the full width of the wrapper from one side edge tothe other so that in the fully formed wrapper it completely encircles atleast part of the end cap. Alternatively, the method may compriseforming a tear strip in the wrapper which extends only part way acrossthe width of the wrapper from a first side edge so that in the completedwrapper it only partially encircles at least part of the end cap.

The method may comprise forming a tear strip in the wrapper by affixinga strip of a material to an inner surface of the wrapper. The materialfrom which the strip is made may be stronger than the material of theremainder of the wrapper. The strip of material may comprise a polymericmaterial. The strip may comprise a plastics material.

Alternatively, the method may comprise forming two spaced lines ofweakness which extend at least part way across the width of the wrapperto define a tear strip between them. The lines of weakness may be formedon an inner surface of the wrapper. The lines of weakness may be formedby means of etching the inner surface of the wrapper. In particular, themethod may comprise forming the lines of weakness by laser etching theinner surface of the wrapper. The method my further comprise producing atab which extends outwardly from one side edge of the wrapper at aposition between the two lines of weakness, the tab may be formedintegrally with the wrapper.

The method may comprises forming the tear strip in the wrapper so thatan outer longitudinal edge of the tear strip is spaced from a firstlongitudinal end edge of the wrapper by a distance in the range of 5 mmto 10 mm and an inner longitudinal edge of the tear strip is spaced fromthe first longitudinal end edge of the wrapper by a distance in therange of 6 mm to 12 mm.

The method may comprise producing a tear guide by forming a single lineof weakness in the wrapper which extends at least part way across thewidth of the wrapper and positioning the line of weakness so that itlies within an end cap region of the fully formed wrapper. The methodmay comprise producing the line of weakness by means of etching, and inparticular laser etching, an inner surface of the wrapper. The methodmay also comprise producing a tab which extends from a side edge of aportion of the wrapper between the line of weakness and a firstlongitudinal end edge of the wrapper. The method may also compriseforming a slit in the wrapper extending from a side edge of the wrappertowards the line of weakness.

The method may further comprise forming the line of weakness so that itextends across the full width of the wrapper from one side edge to theother so that in the completed wrapper it completely encircles at leastpart of the end cap. Alternatively, the method may comprise forming theline of weakness in the wrapper so that it extends only part way acrossthe width of the wrapper from a first side edge, so that in thecompleted wrapper it only partially encircles at least part of the endcap.

The wrapper may comprise a sheet of metal foil and may have a single ormultiple layers. The sheet may be a sheet of a composite materialcomprising a layer of foil and a layer of a paper or other material.

The method may comprise affixing the overlapping side edges of thewrapper to one another using an adhesive. The method may also comprisefixing some of all of the flaps which form each end cap in position bymeans of adhesive. The adhesive may be a pressure or heat activatedadhesive and the method may comprise pre-applying the adhesive to thewrapper before it is wrapped around the stack of confectionery pellets.

The method may comprise wrapping a second, inner wrapper about the stackof pellets before the said wrapper is applied.

The method may comprise individually wrapping each of the confectionarypellets before they are formed into the stack.

The method may be specifically adapted for packaging a stack of chewinggum pellets.

In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, there is providedpackaging for a stack of confectionery pellets having a longitudinalaxis extending through all the pellets in the stack, the packagingcomprising a sheet wrapper that encases the stack, the wrapper beingformed into a side wall portion which encircles the stack about thelongitudinal axis and two end cap regions, each end cap region enclosinga respective axial end of the stack, the wrapper further comprising atear guide to assist a user in opening the packaging by tearing thewrapper along a line, in which said tear guide is formed by means of atleast one line of weakness in the wrapper.

Use of a line of weakness enables a tear guide to be formed in thewrapper which is substantially invisible to a user, and which thereforedoes not affect the aesthetic features of the wrapper. Furthermore, aline of weakness does not produce any bulge which would otherwise beformed by a tear strip comprising a separate strip of plastics or othermaterial, connected to the wrapper.

Two spaced lines of weakness may be formed in the wrapper defining atear strip between them.

The tear guide may be located at least partly within an end cap regionof the completed wrapper or in the side wall region of the formedwrapper, no more than 10 mm from the edge of one of the end cap regions.

The wrapper may further comprise a tear guide tab which projects from afirst side edge of the wrapper and which a user may grasp and pull toinitiate tearing of the wrapper. The tear guide tab may be in the formof a protrusion extending from a side edge of the wrapper and may beintegral with the wrapper. Where two lines of weakness are present inthe wrapper to define a tear strip, the tear guide tab may be positionedbetween the two spaced lines of weakness.

The tear guide may lie substantially parallel to a first longitudinalend edge of the wrapper, prior to the wrapper being formed about thestack.

The, or each, line of weakness may extend laterally across at least partof the width of the wrapper from a first side edge.

The, or each, line of weakness may follow a path that is curvilinear.

The, or each, line of weakness may be formed in the wrapper by etchingand more specifically by laser etching. Alternatively the, or each, lineof weakness may be formed by scoring an inner surface of the wrapper orby any other means which does not penetrate through the wrapper and sodoes not destroy the integrity of the wrapper.

In accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided amethod of packaging a stack of confectionary pellets having alongitudinal axis extending through all the pellets in the stack, themethod comprising: positioning a sheet wrapper adjacent a stack ofconfectionary pellets, the wrapper having a tear guide for assisting auser in opening the packaging by tearing the wrapper along a line;forming the wrapper into a side wall portion which encircles the stackabout the longitudinal axis and two end cap regions, each end cap regionenclosing a respective axial end of the stack; in which the methodfurther comprises producing at least one line of weakness in the wrapperto define the tear guide.

The method may comprise forming two spaced lines of weakness in thewrapper to define a tear strip between them.

The method may comprise positioning the tear guide so that it is locatedat least partly within an end cap region of the completed wrapper or inthe side wall region of the formed wrapper, no more than 10 mm from theedge of one of the end cap regions.

The method may comprise forming a tear guide tab on the wrapper so thatthe tab projects from a first side edge of the wrapper and can begrasped by a user and pulled to initiate tearing of the wrapper. Inwhich case, the method may comprise forming the tear guide tab as aprotrusion extending from a side edge of the wrapper. Where the methodcomprises forming two spaced lines of weakness to define a tear strip,the method may comprise positioning the tear guide tab between the twospaced lines of weakness.

The method may comprise forming the tear guide so that it liessubstantially parallel to a first longitudinal end edge of the wrapper.

The method may comprise forming the, or each, line of weakness so thatit extends laterally across at least part of the width of the wrapperfrom a first side edge.

The method may comprise forming the, or each, line of weakness along apath that is curvilinear.

The method may comprise forming the, or each, line of weakness byetching, and in particular laser etching, an inner surface of thewrapper. Alternatively the method may comprise forming the, or each,line of weakness by scoring an inner surface of the wrapper or by anyother means which does not penetrate through the wrapper and so does notdestroy the integrity of the wrapper.

Several embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way ofexample only, with reference to the remaining drawings, in which:

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a stack of chewing gum pellets packagedin accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a wrapper forming part of the packaging of FIG.2;

FIG. 4 shows schematically the various stages in the process of singlewrapping the stack of gum pellets using the wrapper of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a stack of chewing gum pellets packagedin accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5 but illustrating thepackaging of FIG. 5 being opened;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the packaging of FIG. 5 but showing thepackaging after it has been opened and illustrating the removal of apellet;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5 but showing the packaging ofFIG. 5 being re-closed after opening;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a stack of chewing gum pellets packagedin accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a view similar to that of FIG. 8 but illustrating thepackaging of FIG. 9 after is has been opened.

The same reference numerals will be used to denote the same orequivalent features in the various embodiments described below.

FIG. 2 shows a stack 22 of chewing gum pellets 24 packaged in an outerwrapper 26, in a manner similar to that of the prior art stack 10described above. However, unlike the prior art, the wrapper 26 in thepresent embodiment has a tear strip 28 which is arranged so that whenthe wrapper 26 is folded about the stack, it extends about thelongitudinal axis and is positioned at least partially in an end capregion 30 of the wrapper adjacent an outer end face of an outermost one24 a of the pellets 24 the stack 22.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tear strip 28 is positioned at the intersectionbetween the end cap 30 and the side wall portion 32 of the wrapper. Thusan outer longitudinal edge 34 of the tear strip is positioned within theend cap 30, whilst an inner longitudinal edge 36 is positioned justslightly into the side wall portion 32 of the wrapper substantially inline with the outer end face of the outermost pellet 24 a. The tearstrip 28 extends across the full width of the wrapper so that itcompletely encircles the end cap 30 when the wrapper is formed. Thismeans that the end cap 30 is completely removed when the user opens thepackaging using the tear strip 28. However, only a minimal amount of theside wall portion 32 of the wrapper is removed with the end cap 30. Inpreferred embodiments, no more than 3 mm of the side wall is removed,more preferably no more than 2 mm, and still more preferably no morethan 1.5 mm.

By positioning the tear strip 28 so that it lies at least partly withinthe end cap 30 at one end of the stack 22, many of the disadvantages ofthe prior art packaging arrangements are overcome. Because the outermostend pellet 24 a is effectively inboard of the tear strip 28, there isless chance of it being lost as the user opens the packaging.Furthermore, once the end pellet 24 a has been removed from the stack,there will be sufficient of the side wall portion 32 of the wrapperprotruding beyond the outer end face of the next pellet 24 b in thestack 22 that the open end of the wrapper can be folded over by the userto encase the remaining pellets 24, so protecting them from exposure andpreventing them from falling out of the packaging.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the wrapper 26 which comprises a sheet of papermaterial or a sheet of metal foil. The wrapper 26 may also be made froma sheet of composite material comprising a metal foil on one side,usually the inner side 37, and a paper or other material on the outerside. The outer surface 39 of the wrapper may be printed to providedetails of the product such as its name, a list of ingredients and/or atrademark etc. Regions of adhesive 38 are pre-applied to the inner andouter surfaces of the wrapper to hold it in place about the stack ofpellets as will be described in more detail later.

The sheet wrapper 26 has two opposing side edges 40, 42 and two opposinglongitudinal end edges 44, 46 and is generally rectangular in shape. Itwill be appreciated, however, that the shape of the wrapper 26 can bevaried depending on the dimensions of the pellets 24 and the number ofpellets in the stack 22. The tear strip 28 is located near onelongitudinal end edge 44 and can be of any suitable type, including anythat are presently known in the art.

In the present embodiment, the tear strip 28 is in the form of a stripof material which is affixed to the inner surface 37 of the wrapper. Thetear strip 28 is fixed to the wrapper so that it extends from a first ofthe side edges 40 to the opposite side edge 42 substantially parallelwith the first longitudinal end edge 44. A tab 48 projects from thefirst side edge 40 and an end of the strip of material 28 is fixed tothe tab 48. When the wrapper is folded about the stack, the first sideedge 40 of the wrapper overlaps the other side edge 42 and is affixedthereto by means of adhesive 38 but the tab 48 remains free so that itcan be grasped by a user. The tear strip 28 is made of a material, suchas a plastic, that is stronger than the rest of the wrapper so that auser is able tear open the packaging by grasping the tab 48 with thetear strip 28 attached and pulling the tear strip in a generallycircumferential direction about the stack. Because the strip 28 ofmaterial is stronger than the rest of the wrapper, the wrapper tends toshear along at least one of the longitudinal side edges of the strip 28as the user pulls the tab.

The tear strip 28 is positioned inwardly from the first longitudinal endedge 44 of the sheet wrapper 26 so that the outer longitudinal edge 34of the strip lies within the end cap 30 formed at that end of the stack.The precise spacing of the tear strip will depend on the dimensions ofthe pellets and the sheet wrapper. However, in the present embodiment,the outer longitudinal edge 34 of the tear strip is spaced from thefirst longitudinal end edge 44 of the wrapper 28 by a distance in therange of 5 mm to 10 mm and the inner longitudinal edge 36 of the stripis spaced from the first longitudinal end edge 44 of the sheet wrapperby a distance in the range of 6 mm to 12 mm.

The wrapper 26 may be formed as part of a continuous web 50 of wrappersand applied to the stack 22 of pellets using a known wrapping machinesuch as the Sapal Chewpac™ supplied by SIG Sapal SA of Av. Du TirFédéral 44, 1024 Ecublens, Switzerland.

A method of applying the wrapper 26 to a stack 22 of chewing gum pellets24 will now be described with reference to FIG. 4, which illustratesschematically, the sequence of folding steps taken to produce thepackaging using the wrapper 26 as described above.

A stack 22 of gum pellets 24 is fed in a wrapping machine towards avertically aligned wrapper 26 with the inner surface 37 of the wrapperfacing the stack. The wrapper 26 is fed into the machine as part of acontinuous web 50 and is separated from the web prior to it being foldedabout the stack 22. The wrapper 26 has a tear strip 28 which is alignedwith the outer end face 52 of the outermost pellet 24 a at one end ofthe stack 22.

As shown at 54, the second side edge 42 of the wrapper 26 is folded soas to lie partway across the lower surface of the stack 22 whilst thefirst side edge 40 is folded over the upper surface so as to projectoutwardly from the side of the stack. The longitudinal end edges 44, 46of the wrapper project beyond the ends of the stack 22.

The stack of pellets 22 together with the partly folded wrapper 26 arethen inverted as indicated by the arrow 56. As shown at 58, with thestack 22 inverted, the second side edge 42 of the wrapper 26 extendslongitudinally about halfway across the now upper surface of the stack22 generally parallel with a longitudinal axis 60 of the stack 22. Atthis point, or during the process of inverting the stack, first sideportions 62 of the wrapper 26 that project beyond either end of thestack are tucked inwardly so as to contact the end faces of the stackand the wrapper is creased about fold lines 64 to partly form first andsecond major end closure flaps 66, 68 at either end of the stack.

The first side edge 40 of the wrapper 26 is folded over the now uppersurface of the stack so as to overlie the second side edge 42 of thewrapper, as shown at 70. Second side portions 72 of the wrapper 26 thatproject beyond the ends of the stack 22 are then folded inwardly so asto contact the end faces of the stack and the wrapper is creased aboutfold lines 74 to complete the first and second major end closure flaps66, 68 at either end. The second side portions 72 may overlap with thefirst side portions 62 so that the ends of the stack are completelycovered.

The first major end closure flaps 66 at either end are folded down intocontact with the side portions 62, 72 over the end faces of the stack 22as shown at 75. The final stage in forming the wrapper is to fold thesecond major end closure flaps 68 over the first major end closure flaps66 as shown at 76. The side portions 62, 72 and the first and secondmajor end closure flaps 66, 68 combine to form end closures or end caps30 of the wrapper.

In a manner well known in the art, some or all of the over lappingregions of the wrapper are adhered to one another by means of thepre-applied adhesive 38. This holds the wrapper 26 in position and canbe arranged so that the packaging is sealed to protect the packaged gumpellets. Any suitable adhesive can used which may be pressure and/orheat sensitive.

FIGS. 5 to 8 illustrate an alternative embodiment of in which the tearstrip 28 is positioned so that it lies wholly within an end cap 30 ofthe fully formed wrapper 26. The wrapper 26 in this embodiment isotherwise formed as described above in relation to the first embodiment.As illustrated in FIG. 6, with this arrangement, none of the side wallportion 32 of the wrapper 26 is removed when the package is opened.FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate how the open end of the wrapper can be foldeddown after one of the pellets 24 a has been removed from the openedpacket to enclose and protect the remaining pellets.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate a yet further embodiment of a packaging 11 fora stack of pellets. In FIGS. 9 and 10, a lower portion of the wrapper 26is shown as being transparent so that the gum pellets 24 can be seenclearly in position. In this embodiment, the tear strip 28 is created inthe wrapper by forming two spaced lines of weakness 80, 82 on the innersurface of the wrapper 26. The lines of weakness run transversely from afirst side edge 40 partway across the width of the wrapper. A tab 84projects from a first side edge 40 of the wrapper at a position betweenthe two lines of weakness for a user to grasp. The arrangement beingsuch that when a user pulls the tab, the wrapper preferentially tearsalong the two lines of weakness.

The tear strip 28 is arranged so that it is positioned wholly within anend cap 30 of the fully formed wrapper 26. Because the tear strip onlyextends part way across the wrapper, it only partly encircles a centralregion 86 of the end cap 30. As a result, the central region 86 is notcompletely removed from the wrapper 26 when the package is opened butremains attached along one edge 88 to form a flap. This reduces theamount of litter produced as the open end cap region 86 cannot bediscarded by a user. The flap 86 can also be used to help in re-closingthe package. It will be appreciated however, that the tear strip couldextend across the whole width of the wrapper 28 so that the end cap 30,or at least part of it, is removed completely when the package isopened.

By forming tear strip using lines of weakness rather than a strip ofmaterial, the tear strip 28 can be shaped to provide a more attractiveopening and the material within the tear strip can be printed in adifferent colour to add to the design effect. Thus the lines of weakness80, 82 can follow a curvilinear path to produce a shaped opening.

The lines of weakness 80, 82 can be produced using any suitable methodbut are preferably produced by laser etching the inner surface of thewrapper. Other methods for producing the lines of weakness includeetching by means other than a laser, scoring the inner surface or byforming perforations which extend through at least an inner layer of thewrapper. Preferably, the formation of the lines of weakness should notdestroy the integrity of the formed wrapper, particularly where thestack is single wrapped. Thus, for example, if a line of weakness isproduced using perforations, these should preferably only extend thoughone or more inner layers and should not extend completely through thewrapper. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), rather than producingtwo spaced lines of weakness to form a tear strip 28, a tear guide canbe formed by producing only a single line of weakness in the wrapper.The line of weakness extends at least partway across the width of thewrapper so that in the fully formed wrapper it encircles the whole orpart of an end cap region of the wrapper 26. A tab can be formed on thefirst side edge of the wrapper between the line of weakness and thefirst longitudinal end edge 44. When the wrapper is fully formed, thetab can be grasped by a user and pulled to initiate tearing of thewrapper along the line of weakness to open the package. The line ofweakness can be formed so as to extend across the full width of thewrapper so that it completely encircles the whole or part of the end capwhich is completely separated from the rest of the wrapper when thepackage is opened. Alternatively, the line of weakness may only extendpart way across the wrapper 26 so that it only partly encircles thewhole or part of an end cap. In this case, the part of the end cap 30that lies within the line of weakness will remain attached to the restof the packaging to form a flap when the packaging is opened. The lineof weakness may follow a curvilinear path to provide a shaped opening.

Whilst it is particularly advantageous that the tear guide is located atleast partly in an end cap region of the wrapper, an advantageouspackaging for confectionary pellets can be provided by forming a tearguide by means of one or more lines of weakness in the wrapper, evenwhere the guide is located in the side wall region of the completedwrapper. A previously noted, use of a laser-etched or otherwise formedline of weakness enables a tear guide to be formed in the wrapper whichis substantially invisible to a user, and which therefore does notaffect the aesthetic features of the wrapper.

It will be appreciated that the precise nature of the wrapper and themethod of applying the wrapper to the stack of pellets can be variedwithout departing from the scope of the invention. For example, a secondinner wrapper (not shown) could be provided and which will be positionedabout the stack of pellets before the wrapper 26, which becomes an outerwrapper, is applied. Furthermore, each pellet in the stack may beindividually wrapped. It should also be appreciated that the packagingand method in accordance with the invention is not limited for use inpackaging gum pellets but can be adapted for use in packaging otherconfectionery products or items which can be formed into a stack. Forexample, hard boiled sweets, candies, chocolates, toffee or mints andother similar confectionery products can be packaged in accordance withthe invention.

Whereas the invention has been described in relation to what ispresently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment,it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to thedisclosed arrangements but rather is intended to cover variousmodifications and equivalent constructions included within the spiritand scope of the invention.

1. Packaging of a stack of confectionery pellets having a longitudinalaxis extending through all the pellets in the stack, the packagingcomprising a sheet wrapper that encases the stack, the wrapper beingformed into a side wall portion which encircles the stack about thelongitudinal axis and two end cap regions, each end cap region enclosinga respective axial end of the stack, the wrapper further comprising atear guide to assist a user in opening the packaging by tearing thewrapper along a line, in which said tear guide extends about the axis;characterized in that the tear guide comprises an outer longitudinaledge and an inner longitudinal edge, the tear guide being positionedsuch that at least the outer longitudinal edge of the tear guide islocated within one of the end cap regions.
 2. Packaging as claimed inclaim 1, in which the wrapper is folded about the stack and, prior tofolding, the sheet wrapper has opposing side edges that are alignedsubstantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the stack andopposing longitudinal end portions which project beyond their respectiveends of the stack, the wrapper being folded circumferentially about thestack to form the side wall portion which encircles the stack with theopposing side edges overlapping and each of said longitudinal endportions of the wrapper being formed into flaps which are folded tooverlie a respective end of the stack to form the end cap regions of thewrapper, in which at least some of the flaps forming each of the end capregions overlap one another and the tear guide extends across at leasttwo overlapping flaps in the end region.
 3. (canceled)
 4. Packaging asclaimed in claim 1, in which the inner longitudinal edge of the tearguide is located in the side wall portion of the wrapper.
 5. Packagingas claimed in claim 4, in which the inner longitudinal edge of the tearguide is located no more than 3 mm from the edge of the end cap regions,preferably the inner longitudinal edge of the tear guide is located nomore than 2 mm, and especially no more than 1.5 mm from the edge of theend cap regions.
 6. Packaging as claimed in claim 1, in which the innerlongitudinal edge of the tear guide is also located in said one of theend cap regions.
 7. Packaging as claimed in claim 1, in which the tearguide is formed by affixing a strip of a material to an inner surface ofthe wrapper, the strip being made of a material that is stronger thanthe material of the remainder of the wrapper.
 8. (canceled)
 9. Packagingas claimed in claim 7, in which the strip comprises a polymeric,preferably a plastics, material.
 10. Packaging as claimed in claim 1, inwhich the tear guide is defined between two spaced lines of weaknesswhich extend across at least part of the width of the wrapper. 11.Packaging as claimed in claim 10, in which the lines of weakness areformed on an inner surface of the wrapper by means of etching. 12.Packaging as claimed in claim 11, in which the lines of weakness areformed on the inner surface of the wrapper by means of laser etching.13-14. (canceled)
 15. Packaging as claimed in claim 1, in which the tearguide is formed substantially parallel to a first longitudinal end edgeof the wrapper, prior to the wrapper being formed about the stack, theouter longitudinal edge of the tear guide being spaced from a firstlongitudinal end edge of the wrapper by a distance in the range of 5 mmto 10 mm and the inner longitudinal edge of the tear guide from thefirst longitudinal end edge of the wrapper by a distance in the range of6 mm to 12 mm. 16-18. (canceled)
 19. Packaging as claimed in claim 1, inwhich the tear guide only partially encircles at least part of said oneof the end cap regions. 20-23. (canceled)
 24. Packaging as claimed inclaim 1, in which the confectionery pellets are chewing gum pellets. 25.A method of packaging a stack of confectionary pellets having alongitudinal axis extending through all the pellets in the stack, themethod comprising: positioning a sheet wrapper adjacent a stack ofconfectionary pellets, the wrapper having a tear guide for assisting auser in opening the packaging by tearing the wrapper along a line;forming the wrapper into a side wall portion which encircles the stackabout the longitudinal axis and two end cap regions, each end cap regionenclosing a respective axial end of the stack; in which the tear guidehas an inner longitudinal edge and an outer longitudinal edge and themethod further comprises positioning the tear guide so that it extendsabout the axis with at least the outer longitudinal edge of the guidebeing located within the end cap regions of the wrapper when the wrapperis fully formed.
 26. A method as claimed in claim 25, in which thewrapper has opposing side edges and opposing longitudinal end edgeportions and the method further comprises: positioning the wrapper sothat the side edges are aligned substantially parallel with thelongitudinal axis of the stack and so that opposing longitudinal endedge portions of the wrapper project beyond their respective ends of thestack; folding the wrapper circumferentially about the stack to form theside wall portion which encircles the stack with the opposing side edgesoverlapping and forming each of said longitudinal ends of the wrapperinto flaps which are folded so as to overlie a respective end of thestack to form the end cap regions of the wrapper, in which at least someof the flaps forming each of the end cap regions are folded so as toover lap one another and the tear guide is positioned so that it extendsacross at least two overlapping flaps in said one end cap region. 27.(canceled)
 28. A method as claimed in claim 25, the method furthercomprising: positioning the tear strip so that the inner longitudinaledge of the tear guide is located in the side wall portion of thewrapper.
 29. A method as claimed in claim 25, the method furthercomprising positioning the tear guide so that the inner longitudinaledge of the guide is no more than 3 mm from the edge of the end capregions, preferably the method comprises positioning the tear guide sothat the inner longitudinal edge is no more than 2 mm and especially nomore than 1.5 mm from the edge of the end cap regions.
 30. A method asclaimed in claim 25, in which the method comprises positioning the tearguide so that both the outer and the inner longitudinal edges arelocated within the end cap regions of the wrapper.
 31. (canceled)
 32. Amethod as claimed in claim 25, the method comprising forming a tearguide in the wrapper which extends only part way across the width of thewrapper from a first side edge so that in the completed wrapper it onlypartially encircles at least part of the said end cap regions.
 33. Amethod as claimed in claim 25, in which the method comprises forming atear guide in the wrapper by affixing a strip of a material to an innersurface of the wrapper.
 34. A method as claimed in claim 25, in whichthe method comprises forming two spaced lines of weakness in thewrapper, which lines of weakness extend at least part way across thewidth of the wrapper to define the tear guide between them.
 35. A methodas claimed in claim 34, in which the lines of weakness are formed on aninner surface of the wrapper by means of etching.
 36. (canceled)
 37. Amethod as claimed in claim 35, in which the lines of weakness are formedby means of laser etching the inner surface of the wrapper 38.(canceled)
 39. A method as claimed in claim 25, in which the methodcomprises forming the tear guide in the wrapper so that an outerlongitudinal edge of the tear guide is spaced from a first longitudinalend edge of the wrapper by a distance in the range of 5 mm to 10 mm andthe inner longitudinal edge of the tear guide is spaced from the firstlongitudinal end edge of the wrapper by a distance in the range of 6 mmto 12 mm. 40-46. (canceled)
 47. A method as claimed in claim 25, inwhich the method is adapted for packaging chewing gum pellets. 48-71.(canceled)
 72. Packaging as claimed in claim 1, in which the tear guideextends in a path that is curvilinear.